Cynthia Erivo Brought It Home at the 2025 Tony Awards—Plus, More of the Night's Highlights
There are no ifs, ands, or maybes about it—Sunday, June 8, was a happy ending for the Broadway community. After a two-year hiatus, the annual Tony Awards returned home to Radio Music Hall, the venue it had called home for 20 shows prior, and it really did feel like a homecoming.
And while I presume that each Tonys Sunday—when producers, actors, directors, writers and friends of the industry come together to celebrate the Broadway season—is a pretty joyful affair, there was something about this year that felt special. Perhaps because of the recent announcement that this was Broadway's highest-grossing season in history, or because we find ourselves in a moment when our communities need live art and creativity more than ever before. Regardless, the main takeaway of the night for those who experienced it in person was that it was one to remember. Here are some of the moments—heart-wrenching, skipping, and warming—that will cement this year's Tonys as one of the greats.
The festive pre-show
Photo:The show airs live on CBS and Paramount+ from 8 p.m. sharp, but a handful of awards are announced in a pre-show broadcast, this year co-hosted by Darren Criss (Maybe Happy Ending) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton). As many of the night's winners explained in their acceptance speeches, it takes a village to make theater happen. Unfortunately, keeping an audience's attention long enough to fit all of the villagers' awards into a single ceremony is a big ask, even of die-heart theater people. So, cue The Tonys: Act One, announcing the winners for best choreography, musical score, lighting design, and more.
The first standing ovation of the night went to Gary Edwin Robinson, winner of the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, for his work on the Theatre Arts Program at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn. 'I told you I was going to the Tony Awards one day!' Robinson exclaimed to his family as he wielded his award.
Partners in life and choreography, Buena Vista Social Club duo Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado took home the Tony for best choreography. Upon accepting the award, Delgado revealed that she and Peck had actually danced to a Buena Vista Social Club song at their wedding—which the audience couldn't help but give a big 'aww.'
Cynthia Erivo's rousing opening number
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